X Brace Bar

[weezer]

I've been reading about x braces from Z3's and M3's.
Will they work on Ti's?
Thinking of spending on this rather than on lowering spring and/or coilovers

[bmw///m3///]

yes yhey will work, been thinking about that mod 2 , its actually practical. go 4 it

[weezer]

Thanks! did you do it yourself? If so was it hard...It looks simple enough, but I know how tight the bolts can be.

[KIRASIR]

It's a 20min install (not counting jacking up) if you've done one before. First time should take a couple of hours.

http://www.emotors.ca/articles/article.aspx?ID=31

SL


Thanks! did you do it yourself? If so was it hard...It looks simple enough, but I know how tight the bolts can be.

[ddiorio1313]

I have heard good things about the X-brace...Not sure about using one from the Z3 or M3, but the one they sell in BavAuto is supposed to help quite a bit....

[weezer]

Thanks a lot, Guys! I'm Glad I joined this forum.
On another thread I asked if anyone had swapped steering wheels before, because I did it and lost the horn.
Any ideas?

[ClubSport]

There's a group buy on the x-brace going on at bimmerforums.com. Today is the last day to get it for $115 shipped, anywhere in the lower 48.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=270052&page=4&pp=25

[bmw///m3///]

115 shipped sounds about right, make sure it comes with all the hardware mounting kit. youll have to do some taping into your frame, but thieres a bunch of DIY websites on it.

[ClubSport]

$115 shipped is actually really cheap for a new brace. And it comes with all the hardware.

[J!m]

You do not tap the frame to install, you install threaded 'riv-nut' inserts. Quite fun if you don't have the tool for it.

The 'X' brace is only available in one flavor- no different models available. It was originally developed to stop cowl shake on the E36 convertable. I have one installed on my ti, and body twist is much lower than before. No windshield creak on off-camber driveways.

Highly recommended modification. DO NOT use the original bar in addition to the brace. Someone was going to do this on another post. The car is not designed to be restrained that way, and cracks could develop. Remove the stock bar, replace it with the brace, enjoy life.

[L84THSKY]

I just installed the x-brace 3 hours ago. The instructions at Understeer.com are very good. Be forwarned, those nutserts are a pain in the ass. My brother and I went from wrenches to allen keys with a vise grip on it, to crecent wrenches and everything in between. Trying to compress the nutsert while holding the bold steady not easy. In the end we got them all on. But when I was tightening the bolts with my torque wrench, I think one of the nutserts came loose inside.

I bought mine from a guy on Ebay, "buy it Now' for $110.00, nutserts included.


Thanks! did you do it yourself? If so was it hard...It looks simple enough, but I know how tight the bolts can be.

[maurolin]

I've always had x braces... Originally in my cabrio, then I installed one in my 4 door M3 (the nutserts were already in the car from factory.
and now getting ready to install it on my ****basket ti.
What really pissed me off is that someone took my x brace.
My cabrio was totalled in the beginning of the year, and i removed it.
well yes the nutserts werre a pain to put in, so i decided to wait till the car was done.
no I cannot find the x brace ANYWHERE!
I have the nutserts, but i am going to have to but another x brace. sux.
they help a lot, but i came to find out that upgradded sway bars and strut bars stiffen the body so much that the installation of the x brace is not felt. BUT, I want to have it all in my car.... if it doesn't work, it will just make my list of mods bigger! hehe.
I tested the stress on the swaybars and the xbrace by spraying a coat of resin on the ends and middle. as the sways or x brace flexes or moves even 1 mm, the thin resin layer will crack. well.. the results were not so surprising... EVERYTHING cracked and in some spots peled off; in exeption of the strut bar. AA makes one stiff bar!.
the racing dynamics swaybars make a difference, but a car will STILL have body flex/roll. I just got my roll bar, and I wanna see the difference it will make with it on at the track. (or the local highways and twisties!!) will be bolted on.

stiff is great, but needs serious damppening to compensate.. ore your wheels will lift off the ground!!!

[KIRASIR]

:confused:

You sprayed sway bars with resin and expected it not to peel off???!??!?!
The sway bars are designed to twist and bend!

I tested the stress on the swaybars and the xbrace by spraying a coat of resin on the ends and middle. as the sways or x brace flexes or moves even 1 mm, the thin resin layer will crack. well.. the results were not so surprising... EVERYTHING cracked and in some spots peled off; in exeption of the strut bar. AA makes one stiff bar!.
the racing dynamics swaybars make a difference, but a car will STILL have body flex/roll.

[ClubSport]

I tested the stress on the swaybars and the xbrace by spraying a coat of resin on the ends and middle. as the sways or x brace flexes or moves even 1 mm, the thin resin layer will crack. well.. the results were not so surprising... EVERYTHING cracked and in some spots peled off; in exeption of the strut bar. AA makes one stiff bar!.

I think your conclusions about the strut bar are wrong. What you just showed is not that the AA bar is really stiff, but that it is not being stressed at all, and is therefore worthless.

Just the opinion of a mechanical engineer.

[cali-ti]

no idea what this tool looks like, but here's a part # and where i read about it:

Steif Bar Tool Deposit P/N 88886113200

http://www.kormanfastbmw.com/e36suspe.htm (scroll about half way down the page)

perhaps that is a "made up" part number for their tool deposit or a tool of their own creation. i'll put in a parts info request with one of the online bmw dealers that actually like to help people and let you know what i find out. i don't see anything listed with the brace itself: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BK73&mospid=47477&prod=19990900&btnr=51_4106&hg=51&fg=80

[KIRASIR]

Don't bother to buy any special tools to install the nutinserts. All you need is:

1) 1 x a bolt
2) 2 x washer
3) 1 x nut

I just did another x-brace installation this weekend. It took me 15 minutes to install the nutinserts. It is really really EASY!

SL


no idea what this tool looks like, but here's a part # and where i read about it:

Steif Bar Tool Deposit P/N 88886113200

http://www.kormanfastbmw.com/e36suspe.htm (scroll about half way down the page)

perhaps that is a "made up" part number for their tool deposit or a tool of their own creation. i'll put in a parts info request with one of the online bmw dealers that actually like to help people and let you know what i find out. i don't see anything listed with the brace itself: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BK73&mospid=47477&prod=19990900&btnr=51_4106&hg=51&fg=80

[aceyx]

the x brace was originally designed for the cabrio. putting it on the m3 was an afterthought.

[cali-ti]

here is the response from the only one who appears willing to sell tools. for ~$18, i'm almost willing to get it to see what it looks like! :P


* 1 51-71-8-410-212 REINFORCEMENT****** 1******* 108.80*********(xbrace)
* 2 88-88-6-113-200 8-MANDRIL********** 1******** 17.30 (tool)

Vaheh Bashikian
Crevier BMW/MINI

(714) 835-3171 ext. 393

[GDB]

here is the response from the only one who appears willing to sell tools. for ~$18, i'm almost willing to get it to see what it looks like! :P


* 1 51-71-8-410-212 REINFORCEMENT****** 1******* 108.80*********(xbrace)
* 2 88-88-6-113-200 8-MANDRIL********** 1******** 17.30 (tool)

Vaheh Bashikian
Crevier BMW/MINI

(714) 835-3171 ext. 393

do it, then it can be resold to everyone on the board when they get a x-brace. It can be the forum slut (everyone's used it).

[mrnine]

Hmm...interesting...

I actually tried to do an x-brace install a couple months ago and after about 4 hours or so completely gave up, having managed to destroy most of my nutserts and not even get a single one mounted to the frame. Let's just say that I really hope no small children were walking by my garage to hear the slew of $%&*! that were flying around. I felt like a total moron. If that tool works, I'll definitely buy one. Heck, I'll mount nutserts randomly to my frame just for kicks.

[cali-ti]

if someone wants to buy the tool, try it out and report to the board before i do, that'd be cool. my first priority is replacing my diff so i won't be buying/installing an x-brace until sometime (hopefully early) next year. i also like to see how each mod feels and what difference it makes before installing another mod. so i'll probably do x-brace and then anti-sways (h&r from bmp design is what i'm looking at now, along with having the shop i usually use weld in reinforcements for the trailing arm tabs). so, i'm guessing i would be ordering the x-brace and tool around mid to end of january.

[maurolin]

mine... painted red t match my racing dynamics sway bars

http://baybimmers.dtdns.net/Project%20332Ti1/x%20brace%20under%20car.jpg

[JedzE36/5]

Don't bother to buy any special tools to install the nutinserts. All you need is:

1) 1 x a bolt
2) 2 x washer
3) 1 x nut

I just did another x-brace installation this weekend. It took me 15 minutes to install the nutinserts. It is really really EASY!

SL

please explain?

[KIRASIR]

http://www.emotors.ca/articles/article.aspx?ID=211
http://www.emotors.ca/articles/article.aspx?ID=31
http://www.emotors.ca/articles/article.aspx?ID=9

SL


please explain?

[JedzE36/5]

thanks a bunch